For most of the inmates, time spent in the BC Pen was full of hard work, boredom, and hour upon hour of silence. “The Long Hours”, a name for the fifteen-hour block of time overnight where the inmates were locked in their cells alone and forbidden to communicate with each other, resulted in many of the inmates taking up various handicrafts to help pass the time, creating artwork with craftsmanship that was often exceptionally high quality. This display showcases examples of these handicrafts and invites visitors to imagine incarceration from a new perspective — one not of destruction, but of production.

This student display was designed and implemented by the 2018 New Westminster Museum Summer Students at Anvil Centre.